On display at the North American International Auto Show last week in Detroit, the vehicle was created to champion the capabilities of additive manufacturing for the show’s very first Technology Showcase.

Born out of the DOE’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL, the 3D print of the automotive icon was crafted using the Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) machine. Capable of manufacturing strong, lightweight and composite parts in sizes greater than one cubic metre, the machine features some recent improvements including a smaller print bed for a smoother surface finish and was used to create 500 pounds of printed parts made of 20 percent carbon fibre. Jointly developed by ORNL and Cincinnati Incorporated, the new system can print parts between 500 to 1000 times faster than today’s industrial standard additive manufacturing machines.

“Our goal is to demonstrate the potential of large-scale additive manufacturing as an innovative and viable manufacturing technology,” said Lonnie Love, leader of ORNL’s Manufacturing Systems Research group. “We want to improve digital manufacturing solutions for the automotive industry.”

The team took six weeks to design, manufacture and assemble the Shelby, including 24 hours of print time. Post processing work was completed by Knoxville-based TruDesign who produced a Class A automotive finish on the vehicle.

“You can print out a working vehicle in a matter of days or weeks,” Love said. “You can test it for form, fit and function. Your ability to innovate quickly has radically changed. There’s a whole industry that could be built up around rapid innovation in transportation.”

The Shelby is designed to “plug and play” components such as battery and fuel cell technologies, hybrid system designs, power electronics, and wireless charging systems, turning the vehicle into a laboratory on wheels.